Catalina Owner Reviews

Serving sailors online since 1997

Review of the Catalina 25 by Craig Cook

Year built	1979
Location of boat	Erie, PA
The boat is sailed on	The Great Lakes
How the boat is used	Day sailing
Normal wind strength	10-15 knots
Average size of crew	2-4
Liveaboard?	No
Owner bought the boat in	1997
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again?	No. The swing keel is always on my mind. The tall rig is great in light air, but causes the boat to be tender. We have to furl in the headsail and reef very early. I think the swing keel and tall rig are an iffy combination....but it could just be me.The other is the room. With four adults on board, it gets tight. We probably should have gone with the 27 we first looked at, or the 30 our friends told us to look at.That said, it's still fun to sail, is very forgiving, and is a great 2 person boat.
Gear that's been added	Roller/furling. Stereo, shore power, upgraded to 3 batteries (2/house, 1/starting), battery chargers, auto/man bilge pump switch and float, pressure water, propane stove and Force 10 BBQ, starboard hanging locker by head, replaced all plastic Catalina 12v lights with polished SS/glass or brass units, oil lamp, weather instruments, drilock cockpit grating, bow roller with Simpson-Lawrance Claw, spreader lights, SS locker vents, cabin sole level 12v courtesy lighting, 12v fan, lifeline cushions, Blue Sunbrella covers for BBQ, winches, tiller, main......and a couple more things
Structural or complex improvements	Rewire complete 12v system with new switch/fuse panels, 12v outlets, battery monitor.
The boat's best features	Availability of factory parts, support groups like this, lines that are pleasing to the eye
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc.	Fresh water tank needed the fittings changed, the lines were kinked from the factory. 12v system, plastic switches and lights turned brittle and needed to be replaced. Anchor locker leaked into the vberth locker when it rained.
Sailing characterisitcs	sails well in moderate winds, rounds up when you get over your head. Doesn't like powerboat wakes or confused seas, requires a fight with the tiller.
Motoring characterisitcs	Nasty prop walk with the Saildrive, but I think that relates to the huge 3-blade prop.
Liveability	Too small to live on. Not enough storage space
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any)	Only a couple fo times, but they were first rate. They were helpful and shipped parts in a timely manner
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any	private owner
Other comments	I'll buy another Catalina very shortly. I like the way they look. This time we're looking at a 30.

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